The title of the exhibition Biblioman (Bookworm) is a reference not only to František Kupka’s (1871–1957) eponymous crypto-self-portrait from the year 1897, but also to his lifelong searching and tireless and systematic study of science and the humanities, which influenced his progressive views of painting and his informed approach to illustrating historical texts. Kupka’s illustrations from the first half of the twentieth century and their place within the oeuvre of this ‘pioneer of abstraction’ form the main focus of this exhibition, which also presents an extensive set of fine press editions from the GASK collections within the context of works influenced by the classical tendencies found in his work in the first decade of the twentieth century.

In 2020, the centenary of the birth of one of the most distinctive Czech artists of the post-war generation, Stanislav Podhrázský (1920–1999), passed almost unnoticed – in part because of the limitations on cultural life resulting from the anti-Covid measures. According to Marie Klimešová, Podhrázský is one of just a few Czech artists who – had it not been for Communism – would undoubtedly have achieved European fame thanks to the unique and timeless nature of their work. His unusual lyrical form characterised by a distinctive sense of unease combines artistic trends of that period such as Surrealism, abstraction and New Figuration, while at the same time its spontaneous expression preserves Podhrázský’s characteristic personality.

The title of the exhibition Biblioman (Bookworm) is a reference not only to František Kupka’s (1871–1957) eponymous crypto-self-portrait from the year 1897, but also to his lifelong searching and tireless and systematic study of science and the humanities, which influenced his progressive views of painting and his informed approach to illustrating historical texts. Kupka’s illustrations from the first half of the twentieth century and their place within the oeuvre of this ‘pioneer of abstraction’ form the main focus of this exhibition, which also presents an extensive set of fine press editions from the GASK collections within the context of works influenced by the classical tendencies found in his work in the first decade of the twentieth century.

In 2020, the centenary of the birth of one of the most distinctive Czech artists of the post-war generation, Stanislav Podhrázský (1920–1999), passed almost unnoticed – in part because of the limitations on cultural life resulting from the anti-Covid measures. According to Marie Klimešová, Podhrázský is one of just a few Czech artists who – had it not been for Communism – would undoubtedly have achieved European fame thanks to the unique and timeless nature of their work. His unusual lyrical form characterised by a distinctive sense of unease combines artistic trends of that period such as Surrealism, abstraction and New Figuration, while at the same time its spontaneous expression preserves Podhrázský’s characteristic personality.

In 2020, the centenary of the birth of one of the most distinctive Czech artists of the post-war generation, Stanislav Podhrázský (1920–1999), passed almost unnoticed – in part because of the limitations on cultural life resulting from the anti-Covid measures. According to Marie Klimešová, Podhrázský is one of just a few Czech artists who – had it not been for Communism – would undoubtedly have achieved European fame thanks to the unique and timeless nature of their work. His unusual lyrical form characterised by a distinctive sense of unease combines artistic trends of that period such as Surrealism, abstraction and New Figuration, while at the same time its spontaneous expression preserves Podhrázský’s characteristic personality.